The Joli Jardin is an adorable flower farm and flower shop on Market Street owned by Becca Coleman and Erin Leonard. The store is filled from floor to ceiling with flowers, stationary, jewelry, and art. People walking by are drawn in by the efflorescent aromas and welcoming atmosphere. But this shop and this dream team didn’t happen overnight.
Back in 2017, Erin was looking for a part-time childcare position on care.com while Becca was searching for a loving nanny to watch her 3 young kids while she ran her farm. Once their paths collided, the rest is history. They started by planting seeds on the farm and selling those harvested flowers at pop-ups around town. Next came selling flowers out of the Blumenwagen, Chattanooga’s first flower truck. Soon after came the opportunity to open the storefront downtown known as Joli Jardin, or “pretty garden," which is partnered with Venya Portrait, a photography studio owned by another amazing local businesswoman, Jessica Pope.
Erin and Becca are truly women who build other women up. They understand the importance of building relationships in the community in order to succeed. Erin’s advice for women trying to start their own company: “Find your team, find your people. It can be really intimidating to take risks but I have been able to meet all these amazing women because of it. There is a lot of power in women taking the necessary risks and succeeding.” So check out the Joli Jardin next time you’re downtown and pick up some spring flowers for a loved one or to brighten your home!